The Game That Wants You to Speedrun It

ever imagine a game that just feels made for you like you go i want an fps but it's also a platformer and it's also a card game and you can speedrun the levels and the writing is really cheesy but it's self-aware to the point that it circles back around to being funny and also the music makes me feel like i'm on crack the entire time anyway just a thought not like anyone would make that [Music] oh cool when neon white was announced back in its initial nintendo direct i wasn't all that interested that's not a jab at any one part of the game just either the trailer was kind of confusing or i wasn't really paying attention fast forward a bit to february of this year and as i was diving through demos in the steam next fest neon white was the game that instantly stood out i'm talking stood out so hard that i labbed speedrun routes with my friend for two hours to get top 10 on a single level and then pre-purchased the game the second it was available before the thought even traveled through my mind that i could have gotten a review code as a so-called influencer now i would say i'm glad i bought it because i can freely speak my mind without needing to put text at the bottom of the screen that says review key provided by publisher but it doesn't really matter given that i'm about to praise the ever living [ __ ] out of this game they deserve my 22.49 along with however much they charge for the vinyl soundtrack when it inevitably releases set your price [ __ ] watch me neon white is a game that oozes so much style that it might just be one of the most video games ever made but i don't think i can really start this review without being a bit more presentable first okay now i can talk about the game there's no good way to ease anyone into the concept of neon white the developers have been using the tagline for freaks in the marketing since the start so if you're the kind of person that gets scared when you walk by a hot topic i'm gonna have to ask you to exit out of the video lest you have a heart attack when you find out the soundtrack has been specifically engineered to make you piss and [ __ ] your pants at the same time [Music] the core gameplay is simple scratch that symbol is a boring word it's straightforward easy uncomplicated uninvolved these all suck you play as neon white plucked from hell to do god's dirty work and it's your job to kill every demon in sight and make it to the end of each level as fast as possible as you grapple between towering skyscrapers and sprint across glass oceans you pick up cards that function as weapons but can also be discarded to activate a movement ability like a dash or grenade that's it go on clear the level i'll take it oh you got a silver medal cute now uh check the leaderboard [Music] speed running every level to perfection isn't required to complete the game but at its core neon white is a speed running game every weapon and level has been so intricately crafted so painstakingly designed to inspire the inner sewer rat to emerge from within and spend hours clearing a single 10 second level over and over again i know that kind of gameplay loop isn't for everyone but if you don't at least get an ace medal on every level then i'm allowed to make fun of you and you can't call it cyber bullying or turn off the computer it's an incredibly basic concept that feels pretty underutilized in the realm of video games as it opens up the joys of going fast to a wider audience the game prioritizes the intricacies of each weapon card and ability rather than difficult movement tech like b-hopping or wall clips that isolate many speed runs to the shadow realm inhabited by only the most dedicated of players neon white also nails the feeling of intrinsic motivation that draws so many players to speed running and competitive multiplayer games without imposing unrealistic expectations on the casual player to earn the game's ace medals you usually need to find a shortcut after earning a gold medal the game will even give you a hint to guide you towards a faster time eventually instilling within your rapidly expanding gamer brain the ability to find even better skips and create routes on your own there will obviously be videos in the future that detail and organize every world record but i think embracing the puzzle solving element of the game and attempting to clear levels without guidance is integral to getting the full experience conveying the feeling of discovery found at the heart of speedrunning the game is designed for you to break it in a sense it wants you to experiment with just how far every map every card and every enemy placement can be manipulated for the fastest possible time there's literally an achievement for skipping an entire phase of the first boss fight getting a faster time isn't where the critical thinking stops though there's a single gift hidden in every level that completely removes speed from the equation turning neon white into something of a puzzle platformer gifts often require you to save up cards you would have used for fast progression to instead cross massive gaps or bust through hidden floors they end up being pretty fun to search for as you realize you kinda sorta haven't been looking at the details of each map while blasting through them at mach 20. these gifts can then be given to side characters for bonus levels and interesting conversations which i'll discuss in a little bit the leaderboard feature allows any player casual or freak to feel that constant sense of improvement even if they aren't fighting for number one just shaving a fraction of a second off of your favorite level and watching your username bump up in the rankings or working on a route for an hour to reclaim the top spot amongst your friends absolutely demolishes the old dopamine receptors and turns what is already an impressive single player title into an incredibly replayable experience it's been quite a while since i was this pumped for a game's release and felt that overwhelming sense of excitement all the way through gunning it through level after level flicking my mouse to blast demons with shotguns and fly through the air brake core music pummeling down on my soul and wind flowing through my metaphorical hair it's just all it it's just awesome it just it just makes you feel awesome it took me over 30 hours to finish my play through mostly because i was physically incapable of proceeding to the next level without finding a bunch of cool shortcuts i've never really considered myself to be amazing at video games but when i finally rolled credits and saw that i was in the top 100 overall that felt pretty cool i'm sure i'll get knocked down more than a few pegs by the time i finish this video but i get it at least i get why people speed run it's pretty fun also you can talk [ __ ] to your friends which is infinitely more enjoyable than getting flamed by someone you don't know in a multiplayer game i can send a picture of me beating a time to one of the nicest guys i know only to get a response that says [ __ ] and then check your times a couple days later the feeling of wanting to dodge responsibilities to take back your favorite courses and then talk [ __ ] when you finally do adds another layer of enjoyment that i've never really felt with any game before now neon white wouldn't be neon white if it were just a speedrunning game because it's a lot of things it is an fps platformer but it's also got an absolutely sick as hell soundtrack a beautifully striking visual style and it's cringe you are my sass game man the darkness to my light on purpose like in the best way where i'm assuming all the devs and writers got together and started spitballing the stupidest jokes they could think of and if anyone in the room went is that too awkward and or horny that was just confirmation that it was going in you're so lucky you don't have big boobs white they get it the worst uh you think i don't have things that sweat i've found that while most players are unanimous on their enjoyment of the gameplay the writing is definitely the more controversial element so to speak it's not poorly written or edgy per se but in being self-indulgent it offers a vibe all its own that some people are definitely not a fan of the game takes a lot of risks comedically and cranks a bunch of character stereotypes up to 11 so i will concede that it can be very hit or miss depending on your general interests there are plenty of comparisons and critiques that have already been made the character gifting events have been likened to dengan rompa the overall writing is rather anime and jrpg inspired with its flirtatious dialogue alongside a gods and demons storyline and its tongue-in-cheek references range from white explaining the word pog to violet singing my chemical romance hi it's editing me awkwardly interrupting the video to go on a tangent and say uh can we stop with the whole comparisons thing i've played all the danganronpa games i don't see it and i saw an article that said think pokemon meets overwatch meets fire emblem what the [ __ ] does that mean guys i know that plenty of players will take one look at neon white and press f to skip all the text but i think it's a key part of the aesthetic that makes the game stand out the levels move at such a breakneck pace that after playing them time and time again it's actually kind of nice to have a breather to make sure you don't burst a blood vessel i'll agree with reviews that the story is nothing groundbreaking the writing isn't perfect but i also don't think people are giving it enough credit that or they're just skipping all the dialogue to get to the next level and yeah it would probably seem bad if you don't read it when evaluating a game i think it's important to identify where the creative focus lies many games are considered masterpieces even if they aren't a 10 out of 10 in every regard mario isn't really trying to break new ground in storytelling nor does disco elysium require much more input than walking around and clicking on dialogue choices i'm not saying games can't do more than one thing but neon white isn't trying to write a best-selling novel it's trying to do a sick trick at the skate park wait you really think i'm smart sure for a baby not this again go back to complimenting me tell me i'm sexy or something i can't tell a baby he's sexy i'll go to jail criteria for new york times best seller the first area you explore is an unsettlingly perfect seaport filled with blinding white structures and an ocean of glass that stretches endlessly into the horizon this location is where the neons first awaken to hunt demons but it isn't until later that you learn how they arrive at the surface each year the believers choose the sinners who are easily manipulable or hard-headed the ones that are buoyant enough to rise from the depths of hell but white weighed down by his mistakes and regrets from life sinks year after year until red decides to pull him out and i don't know i think that imagery is pretty [ __ ] cool and then they do a fan service beach episode and you go wow wow now this is a video game there's something strangely enjoyable about the game's tonal whiplash one moment you'll hear violet screaming i said is it white's flat ass immediately followed by red giving a heartfelt speech about the value of forgiveness followed again by and i cannot stress this enough a real line that i didn't pay steve bloom after the fact to record or anything it's like how you can never be a true gamer if you only ever play on easy mode that was real that that's in the game what really makes neon white special though is its overwhelming sense of style not in shamelessly ripping off existing tropes but embracing a collection of varied inspirations wholeheartedly in a way that feels like a handmade gift for the freaks the devs included the game is for freaks by freaks there are plenty of games movies and shows with uncomfortable references or attempts to shamelessly appeal to the whitest possible audience for example i enjoyed the sonic movies quite a bit as a die hard fan but every time he made a pop culture reference that wasn't funny before the movie even hit theaters i gagged in my mouth a little bit neon white on the other hand feels as endearing as it gets even if some of the references are a little awkward quirky cringe you know i met this other neon earlier who was a total simp they're cringe okay it's a game where sinners from hell wear animal masks and tight-fitting leather outfits to shoot demons with gun cards the [ __ ] were you expecting there are so many lines that are just the stupidest sentences i've ever heard and if i heard them in a big budget game or movie i would probably die on the spot but they're so genuine here delivered with such enthusiasm by the voice actors that it all ends up being really enjoyable the occasional breaks from absurdity slowly reveal a cast of endearing weirdos and a story engaging enough to be a gameplay motivator on its own rather than purely being driven by unlocking another set of levels there's this meme that says do not kill the part of you that is cringe kill the part that cringes and to an extent that's how i feel about neon white if you turn your brain power down just a little bit not like all the way off because you're still gonna need it when you get back to aiming for red aces oh yeah did i mention uh ace isn't the fastest time it's actually red ace which is the hidden developer time and i only have like half of them because god damn that [ __ ] is fast anyway if you turn your brain down just a little bit there's a lot of fun to be had getting sucked up in a world that feels like well i think other reviewers have described it along the lines of an amv if it were playing on toonami in the back of a hot topic in the late 90s but i was a baby at that point in time so i'll just say it feels cool like it's trying to be cool as hard as it [ __ ] can neon white is the awkward kid at school the one that nobody really talks to or knows anything about and it walks up to the other kids and says watch this i'm gonna do the forbidden triple kick flip and everyone watching gasps and says the forbidden triple kick flip the move that no one's ever done before that's a death wish you won't make it but neon white jumps as high as it can puts a cool mask on while doing the kickflip starts blasting but can only be described as adhd music puts on sunglasses over the cool mask screams let's [ __ ] go in the intro cut scene makes a sonic adventure 2 reference and then sticks the landing that kickflip analogy encapsulates my feelings about the game better than most traditional reviewing methods ever could but before i wrap things up here in the interest of staying true to the element of speedrunning i'm gonna speedrun the boring part of the video so i don't lose quite as many people before the ending can i get a timer okay time is when i say appreciate it all right and go please consider subscribing if you enjoyed the video and also if you want to support me and these dumb videos i make you can toss me a couple bucks over on my patreon which is linked in the description and i would really appreciate it time oh a77 there's a world record everything about neon white just feels like it was made for me sure i know that there are thousands of other players falling in love with the game as well but to make an experience this unapologetically stylish and niche means alienating a large swath of potential customers but as a player when you stop giving a [ __ ] about what other people think and instead look for something to fuel your inner freak that's often where you'll find an experience that resonates with you personally far stronger than anything made for the masses and it's exactly how i found one of the sickest video games i've ever played not bad for a dead guy huh [Music] you

Channel: yakkocmn

Views: 621,431

Keywords: neon white, neon white review, yakkocmn, speedrun, speedrunning, yakkocmn neon white, yakko, indie game, platformer, underrated, indie games, best indie games, speedrunner, fps, review, movement

Id: 21qpvwv7kY8

Length: 16min 11sec (971 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 05 2022